Congratulations to Laura M. Thompson, Ph. D., Director, Technical Marketing and Sustainable Development, Sappi Fine Paper North America, and the recipient of the 2013 William D. Schaeffer Environmental Award.
Established in 1990, this award is named for environmental pioneer and researcher Dr. William D. Schaeffer, who is celebrated in the industry for his contributions to environmental issues.
In her role at Sappi, Dr. Thompson is responsible for working with the company's leadership to set strategy, establish long-term goals, and drive key initiatives. She also serves as the thought leader behind Sappi's eQ brand, a multidimensional communication platform featuring videos, white papers, the eQ Journal (also available in print), and a blog, The Environmental Quotient.
Dr. Thompson proudly serves the industry through numerous collaborative efforts including the TwoSides U.S. Sustainability Committee, GreenBlue's Forest Products Working Group, and AF&PA's task force on extended producer responsibility (EPR).
"All of this year's candidates were extremely well qualified. But Laura Thompson excelled in every area including education, public relations, continuous improvement, compliance assistance, regulatory issue involvement, and pioneering efforts," said one of the judges of this year's Schaeffer Award. "She freely shares her knowledge and enthusiasm for sustainable practices, which helps to advance the environmental performance of the entire printing industry."
Thompson will be honored before a prestigious group of peers and industry leaders during Printing Industries of America's Spring Administrative Meetings, May 31–June 1, 2014, in Dallas, TX.